Mosab Hassan Yousef may be deported

About two months ago, I reviewed Son of Hamas, the autobiography of Mosab Hassan Yousef. He is the son of one of the founds of Hamas who has moved to the United States and is a Christian. Well, earlier today, I spotted this news item on Facebook. Yousef is facing a deportation hearing later this month.

I don't know about you, but that has me a little upset. The afore-linked-to article has this gem from Yousef's blog:

It began when I arrived in America January 2, 2007. I walked into the airport like anyone else on a tourist visa. Seven months later, I went to the Homeland Security office, knocked on their door and told them, “Hey, guys, I am the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, my father is involved in a terrorist organization, and I would like political asylum in your country.” They were shocked. They didn’t expect it. I told them, hey, you didn’t discover me. You didn’t catch me. I came to you and told you who I am to wake you up. I wanted them to see that they have huge gaps in their security and their understanding of terrorism and make changes before it’s too late. I filed an application for political asylum. Not surprisingly, on February 23, 2009, they told me that I was “barred from a grant of asylum because there were reasonable grounds for believing [I] was a danger to the security of the United States and because [I] engaged in terrorist activity.”

So a man who admits that he used to belong to a terrorist organization (and who has since renounced his ties) and seeks asylum in our country can't be given asylum because he used to belong to a terrorist organization. Great circular logic there.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking I'm going to give the Department of Homeland Security a call. As near as I can tell, the best way to do that is via the phone. Their comment line is 202-282-8495.